1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile device security, and more particularly but not exclusively to methods and apparatus for inspecting mobile applications for malicious content.
2. Description of the Background Art
Mobile devices that run mobile operating systems are low resource devices in that they typically have less processing power compared to desktops and laptop computers. Nevertheless, because they are more portable, lighter, easier to use, and have more convenient form factor compared to full blown computers, mobile devices are widely popular. Examples of mobile devices include smart phones (e.g., APPLE IPHONE phone and ANDROID phones) and tablets (e.g., APPLE IPAD tablet and ANDROID tablets).
Examples of mobile operating systems for mobile devices include the ANDROID mobile operating system and the APPLE iOS mobile operating system. The use of a mobile operating system coupled with their relatively low processing power prevents mobile devices to simply use the same antivirus techniques employed in regular computers. This leaves mobile devices vulnerable to malicious content, such as computer viruses, that may be included in a mobile application. The problem is exacerbated by the ease by which a mobile application may be downloaded to a mobile device and by the proliferation of unsecure mobile application stores.